PhD Studentship: RR/DTI funded studentship in IPAS (Integrated Products And Services), School of Engineering Sciences

A PhD studentship is now available within the CED and Materials Research Groups, School of Engineering Sciences (SES), which will fully cover University tuition fees (at EU/UK level) and provide a tax-free bursary of £12,300 per year, rising annually in line with the UK Government (EPSRC) recommended rate, for a three-year duration.

EU/UK fees are £3168 p.a. (subject to increase), and the overseas fee is £12700 (subject to increase). Therefore overseas applicants will need to find the fees difference of £9532.

A fundamental shift is occurring in many industries away from the selling of products (e.g. cars) to the provision of services (e.g. transport, car leasing). Essential to the long-term success of businesses in this emerging global environment is the creation of new Integrated Products And Services (IPAS). These require knowledge transfer between three very different worlds: new service design, new product design, and the operation of existing products and services in the field. IPAS will integrate and apply a number of disparate generic technologies that are currently in the research phase and span the disciplines of computer science, engineering design, knowledge management, manufacturing and work psychology.

IPAS will significantly improve these generic technologies, which are critical to the effective exploitation of intra and inter-enterprise computing, and validate them by application to a complex real world challenge. IPAS deliverables include: a Designer Knowledge Desktop, defined work social issues and solutions, process simulations and optimisation, and a life cycle cost modelling toolkit. The PhD research proposed will provide good opportunities to work with one of the largest aerospace companies in the world. The IPAS project partners include the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield and Aberdeen as well as colleagues from the School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton University. A significant part of the research will involve computing. Therefore the successful candidate must have an interest and strong skills in computation and problem representation paradigms. An initial focus of the PhD programme will be the development of mechanistically based lifing approaches for integration into preliminary design processes. Regular meetings will be held with Rolls-Royce UK and the company will provide funding and project management to the project.

SES is a top 5* rated research school with an international reputation. The successful candidate will work with a group of highly motivated, first class research students in the areas of Computational Engineering, Materials, Design and Optimisation. This group has a long term research relationship with Rolls-Royce and hosts the University Technology Partnership in Design. The School is a diverse community which is committed to creating an inclusive working and learning environment in which all individuals are equally treated and valued, and can achieve their potential. The School considers all studentship applications in relation to academic criteria and regardless of the individual’s race, gender, or belief.

Entry requirements: The studentship is available to candidates with the equivalent of a first class or upper second class degree in relevant disciplines, e.g. computing, mathematics, aeronautics or engineering disciplines. The studentship is at the standard EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) rate, commencing on 1st March 2007.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Professor Jim Scanlan at the Computational Engineering & Design Centre (CEDC), School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton SO17 1BJ, Tel: +44-(0)23-8059-2369, Email: J.P.Scanlan@soton.ac.uk

The application form can be accessed here.

Please note that applications will only be considered on receipt of a completed application form. If applying on-line, please send supporting documents to the following address:

Julia Zimbler, Postgraduate Admissions, Graduate School Office, School of Engineering Sciences, Room 5013, Lanchester Building, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.

Please include a personal statement (~300 words) stating why you particularly want to do a PhD, why you think you are suited to a research degree and what particularly attracts you to this project.

Source of this announcement can be found here.